Implementation of modules for the car product and the strategies of equipment manufacturers

The concept of the module, omnipresent in areas such as electronics and software, started appearing in the car product sector at the end of the 1990s. After a frenetic phase, the initial results did not turn out to be as good as expected, both for the manufacturers who were looking for more radical solutions in terms of performance, and for the equipment manufacturers whose responsibilities and costs had strikingly increased. Why did the module appear in this sector and what does this concept of the implementation of modules mean in the context of the car industry ? What impact does it have on activity in this area ? What are the conditions for its implementation from the equipment manufacturer's point of view ? Why should one innovate in this sector and how does one do it ? François Fourcade, director of research at Valeo, answers these questions and talks about his experience and the lessons he has learned, which have resulted in the creation of a division reserved for the front sided module.